CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to an U.S. application Ser. No. 10/008,756 entitled Roll of Adhesive Labels for Cutting Tape, filed on even date herewith, and to application Ser. No. 10/008,757 entitled Adhesive Applicator.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and a method for loading a pre-determined amount of band or tape from a roll sufficient for an entire turn-up process. In particular, the present invention relates to a system for dispensing a pre-determined length of a cutting tape into a cross web track of an apparatus for cutting a moving web of paper.
2. Related Art
The proper length of a cutting tape is primarily determined by the width of the web and the width of a cross web track and an extra length of tape needed to properly spiral onto empty paper reel to which the web is transferred.
In the prior art systems, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,675 dated Sep. 10, 1991, a loop was formed prior to cutting a tape to its correct length. The paper machine pulls the reserve or extra tape from a longitudinal slot during turn-up. Some processing difficulties may arise during such operation. The tape is highly tensioned and may present problems in fast paper machines. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved dispensing and accumulating cutting tape system that enables smooth tangential release of the cutting tape into a cross web track of paper machine and provides a pre-determined single length of the cutting tape before sending it into the cross web track.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an accumulator of a cutting tape that winds and stores a pre-determined length of a cutting tape ready to be dispensed outwardly into a cross web track.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an accumulator of a cutting tape having a roll rotating inside the accumulator at a speed faster than the speed of a cutting tape entering the accumulator to wind the cutting tape around the roll.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an accumulator of a cutting tape having a roll rotating inside the accumulator and coupled to a clutch mechanism to vary its speed inversely proportional to the speed of the cutting tape winding on the roll.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide for an accumulator of a pre-determined length of a cutting tape to be dispensed at an appropriate selected time and an adhesive applicator to apply a double-sided pressure sensitive adhesive, preferably paper, strip to a lower surface of the cutting tape prior to entering a cross web track.
It is a related object of the present invention to provide for an accumulator and an adhesive applicator dispensing system including a sensor to detect presence or absence of an adhesive strip on a lower surface of a cutting tape and an abort block to divert a cutting tape having no adhesive strip.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide for an improved dispensing and accumulating cutting tape system that enables smooth tangential release of the cutting tape into a cross web track beneath paper machine.
The present invention relates to a system for dispensing a pre-determined single length of a cutting tape into a cross web track of an apparatus for cutting a moving web. The system includes a first driving roll and a first press roll selectively movable toward and away from the first roll by an actuator. The first roll and first press roll sandwich a cutting tape therebetween when the first press roll is moved toward the first roll and causes a cutting tape to be passed through a cutting station. A second driving roll and a second press roll selectively moves toward and away from the second roll by an actuator with the second driving roll being operatively coupled to the first driving roll. The second press roll receives a cutting tape after passage through the cutting station with a cutting tape being sandwiched between the second roll and the second press roll for moving a cutting tape in one direction into an entryway of a container. The container includes a hollow therein formed by a circumferential surface in which the entryway is located. The circumferential surface has a lateral slot therein located spacedly from the entryway, and the hollow being formed by a plate extending laterally of the circumferential surface. The plate has an arcuate slot extending at its inner end generally medially of the plate to its outer end adjacent the lateral slot. A rotatable press roll has a fixed axis of rotation with its outer surface extending partially through the lateral slot beyond the circumferential surface of the hollow, and an accumulator roll having a rotating first shaft extends through the arcuate slot with the accumulator roll being within the hollow and being located adjacent to and urged toward the rotatable press roll for receiving a cutting tape therebetween and wrapping a cutting tape around the accumulator roll. The accumulator roll rotates at a speed greater than the linear speed of a cutting tape entering the entryway, and the accumulator roll increases in diameter by a cutting tape being wound therearound causing the first shaft to move from the outer end of the arcuate slot toward the inner end. The second driving roll and the press roll maintain a cut end portion of a cutting tape therebetween with substantially its remainder wound on the accumulator roll, and the second driving roll moving a cutting tape in another direction opposite to the one direction to pull a cutting tape from around the accumulator roll in a clockwise direction out of the entryway. A clutch mechanism coupled to the accumulator first shaft varies speed of rotation of the roll in an inverse proportion relative to the diameter of tape wound around the accumulator roll.
The system further includes a third driving roll and a third press roll selectively movable toward and away from the third roll by an actuator, while the third roll and third press roll sandwich a cutting tape therebetween when the third press roll is moved toward the third roll and moves a cutting tape through a cross web track of an apparatus for cutting a moving web, and the third driving roll being operatively coupled to the first and second driving rolls. A reversible motor is positioned spacedly upstream from the third driving roll and being coupled to the first, second and third driving rolls for providing rotative power thereto.
A fourth roll rotatable in either direction to assist the second driving roll in moving a cutting tape inwardly and outwardly of the entryway is positioned adjacent the entryway and spaced from the second driving roll.
An adhesive applicator to apply a strip of double-sided pressure sensitive adhesive to a lower surface of a cutting tape is also included in the system. The applicator is positioned upstream from the third driving roll and includes a housing having an upper portion and a lower portion, a rotatable spindle for receiving a supply roll having layers of spaced strips with exposed face sides and unexposed back sides with each side having a pressure sensitive adhesive thereon and with back sides being adhered to an elongated continuous release liner. The spindle is positioned generally medially of the upper portion, a stationary nose member is mounted to the housing and has a rounded tip exposed outwardly of the housing and is disposed at a proximal end of the upper portion of the housing above the spindle and supply roll is disposed thereon. A solenoid activated press roll is positioned diametrically opposite and above the rounded tip and is vertically movable downwardly to force an exposed face side of an adhesive strip located on release liner located on the rounded tip into contact with a lower surface of a generally horizontally incoming cutting tape to cause an exposed face side to adhere to a lower surface of a cutting tape and separate from a release liner when a release liner rotates around the tip. The applicator also includes a rotatable nip roll spacedly positioned beneath a supply roll for pressing spent release liner onto a supply roll, a doctor knife edge is positioned spacedly and adjacent the nip roll and beneath the supply roll for separating spent release liner from exposed face sides of strip around a supply roll while the nip roll presses against a supply roll. An optical sensor upstream from the stationary nose member controls the movement of the press roll downwardly to press into contact a lower surface of a cutting tape with an exposed face side. Another optical sensor is positioned in proximity with and downwardly from the stationary nose member for detecting presence or absence of adhesive on a lower surface of a generally horizontally exiting cutting tape, and an abort block means is selectively movable downwardly, and a controller receives output signals from the sensor and sends a signal to the abort block means to move downwardly to divert a cutting tape having no adhesive strip on its lower surface.
The present invention also relates to a method for accumulating a pre-determined single length of a cutting tape and dispensing a free end of a cutting tape into a cross web track of an apparatus for cutting a moving web, the method comprises the steps of moving a cutting tape into an entryway of a container having a hollow therein formed by a circumferential surface in which the entryway is located; sandwiching a cutting tape between a rotatable fixed axis press roll with its outer surface extending partially through a lateral slot formed in the circumferential surface beyond such surface and an accumulator roll; driving the accumulator roll through a shaft extending through an arcuate slot in the container with an inner end of the slot being medially of the hollow and an outer end being adjacent the lateral slot; wrapping a cutting tape around the accumulator roll within the hollow; increasing the effective diameter of the accumulator roll by a cutting tape being wound therearound; and urging the shaft of the accumulator roll to move from the outer end of the arcuate slot toward the inner end; adjusting the speed of the accumulator roll relative to the linear speed of the cutting tape; urging the shaft of the accumulator roll toward the press roll during the step of wrapping the cutting tape around the accumulator roll; advancing a free end of a cutting tape wound around the accumulator roll into the cross web track of the apparatus for cutting a moving web and unwinding the wound cutting tape from the accumulator roll; applying a double-sided pressure sensitive adhesive strip to a lower surface of a cutting tape prior to a cutting tape entering the cross web track; detecting the presence or absence of pressure sensitive adhesive strip on the lower surface of the cutting tape; and downwardly moving an abort block to divert an incoming cutting tape having no adhesive strip on its lower surface.